Automatic train-pipe coupling.



VHS. DURBIN.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE COUPLING. APPLICATION FlLED lAN. 6. I913.

Llfig gfigo Patented May 4, 1915.

3. SHEETS-SHEET I.

V. S. DURBIN.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-6.19I3- Patented M way? z v. sinumsm.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED mus. I913.

1,138,3596 Patent-ed m 4, 1915.

.2 SREETSSHEET s.

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snares rarnn r onrrnn VOTAW S. IDURBI1\T,,OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI,ASSIGNOR TO DURBIN AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE CONNECTOR COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS,MISSOURI; A CQRPORATION OE ARIZONA.

AUTOIVIATIG TRAIN-PIPE COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 4, 191

Application filed January 6, 1913. Serial No. 740,313.

To all whom it may] concern:

Be it known that I, VOTAW S. DURBILN, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of St. Louis; State of Missouri, have invented newand useful Improvements in Automatic Train-Pipe Couplers, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inautomatic train pipe couplings, andhas for its object to simplify theconstruction of a device of this character and at the same time toincrease the eflieienoy thereof by insuring reliability in operationunder all normal conditions of service.

In addition to improvements relating to the devi as a whole the presentinvention in detail comprises a novel construction of supporting bracketand a novel manner of supporting the plunger of the coupler headtherein; an improved construction of pipe section or nipple and novelmeans for holding the same in position in the coupler head; and a novelconstruction of the pyramidal projections of the coupler heads whereby.their meeting faces will mutually tendto guide the projections into theappropriate recesses or vopenings in the coupler head.

In the accom anying drawings l igure l is a view in side elevationshowing two interlocked car couplers and two of my improved train pipecouplers interlocked and in the relative position they occupywithrespect to the car coupler; Fig. 2 is a plan View showing two of myimproved train pipe couplers interlocked, a portion of both couplersbeing broken away to illustrate the manner of automatically locking themin engagement; Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal sectional view of thesan'ie; Fig. 4 is a view in front elevation of a car coupler and one ofmy improved'coupler heads; Fig. 5 is a face V161? o'f'a portion of thecoupler head, the pyramr dal projection thereof being sectioned in avertical plane to illustrate the construction of the inner face thereof;'and Fig. 6 is a detail view of one of the nipples.

Referring now'to these drawings, the numerals l, 2, indicate, locked carcouplers andthe. numerals 3, 4, two interlocked train pipe coupler headswhich, as

shown, are positioned'below the car.couplers.'

generally, two inter' same way on the respective cars, and a descriptionof one, and the manner of mountmg and operating the same, will apply totheother. The coupler head 3 is provided on its rear side with aprojection 5 which is pivotally mounted in the outer end of a hollowplunger 6 by means of a pivot pin 7. The numeral 8 indicates a bracketwhichis provided with a flanged top 9 suitably shaped and aperturedwhereby it may be securely fastened to frame members 10 depending fromthe car body. Two converging legs or webs 11 of the bracket arebifurcated in their lower portion to form yokes, the arms 12, 13, ofwhich straddle the plunger (5, and at their point of convergence oneither side of said plunger the said y'okes are provided with anaperture through which passes a pivot pin 1 which pivot pin likewiseextends through slots 15 formed in. opposite sides of the plunger 6 atthe rear end thereof. Mounted in the plunger is a coil sprin 15, theopposite ends of which encircle and rest against headed sleeves 1.7, 18,said sleeves being apertured to permit the passage therethrough ofconductors 19 which pass to the electrical contacts 20. These latterform no part of the present invention. The headed end of the sleeve 17rests against the pivot pin 1 1, and the opening in the head thereof issuitably flared, as indicated at 21, to permit the conductors 19 topassaround the pivot .pin 14 and to prevent abradiug contact thereof withthe pivot pin 14.- or sleeve 17. The head of the sleeve 18 is providedwith a similar flared" opening to permit the conductors to pass aroundthe pivot pin 7, this sleeve resting against the flanged inner end oftheupper end of the plunger 2& is provided with.

a screw-threaded aperture 26 in which is screwed bolt 27 having ahead 28which normallyengages the under side of the plunger 6 and supportsthesame. Alock nut 29 holds the bolt 27 in adjusted positions. By

' when the lock nut 29 is again turned home.

Normallythe coupler heads 3 and 4 pro- 'ject. some distance beyond theface of the respective coupler heads 1 and 2, so thatthe .coupler heads3 and 4 are brought into engagement before the coupler heads 1 and 2. Asthe coupler heads 3 and 4 are thus brought into engagement the plunger 6is pressed backward against the resistance of the spring 16, the slot 15riding over the pivot pin 14. During the time, therefore, that. the saidcoupler heads are in interlocked relation the spring 1'6 of each plungeris exerting its force to maintain a firm contact between the meetingsurfaces of the two heads. In order to prevent the accidental separationof the coupler heads 3 and 4 I provide the automatic locking means newto be briefly described, but which look: ing means are'not a part of thepresent invention.

As shown by Fig. 4, each coupler head is provided with a pyramidalprojection and with an opening 31 which latter'is designed to receivethe corresponding py-' ramidal rojection on the companion coupler head.I he pyramidal projections 30 are hollow, and pivotally mounted at 32 onthe inner side'of each coupler head is a locklever-33 having a hook 34which is adapted to project through an opening 35 in the wall of theprojection 30 and to engage over the rim 36 surrounding the o ening 31of the companion coupler head. v at 3 to the outer end of the lever 33is a rod '38, the rear end of which is pivotally connected'at 39 to theouter end of a link vide a space for the play of the arm 40.

arm 40 has a hub 43 which is rotatably arm 40 which extends outward atright angles to a vertically disposed pin 41 which is mounted at theextreme inner end of the plunger 6, the said inner end of the plungerbeing cut away, as indicated at 42, to r}?- mounted on the pin 41. Thenumeral 44 indicates a coil spring which encircles the ivotally securedrear side thereof is a lug 47 which in operation is adapted to engagethe inner side of the arm 40. This occurs when the cars are separated.In such operation the bracket 8 will, of course, first be moved backwardby the car and in such movement the lug 47 will strike the arm 40 anddraw the rod 38 backward, thereby turning the hook 34 out of engagementwith the rim 36 so that in the continued separating movement of the carsthe two coupler heads 3 and 4 may be drawn apart. As these coupler headsare brought together the plunger 6 is forced backward carrying the arm40 out of engagement with the lug 47 and permitting the spring 44 toagain force the rod 38 forward or toward the coupler heads to turn thehook 34 outward and into engagement with the rim 36.

An important feature of the present inventionrelates to the manner ofsecuring'the pipe connectors or nipples in the coupler heads. Thesenipples are forthe purpose of connecting the various train pipes withthe coupler head, and with a companion nipple to form a conduit throughthe interlock coupler heads, the numeral 48 indicates the nipple for thesignal pipe, the numeral 49 that for the main train pipe and the numeral50 that for the steam pipe. Each of these nipples has the sameconstruction and a description of one'will sufiice. Each of thesenipples is in the form of an elbow, hav ing an outer screw-threaded cappiece 51 for connection with the end of the train pipe, a collar 52 forresting against the face of the coupler head, and an engaging portion53which is inserted in a suitable aperture in the coupler head andpreferably bears against a rubber or other gasket 54, which gasketconstitutes the engaging surface proper. At the behd of the nipple Iprovide a rounded lug 55 which engages in a socket formed in the end ofa bridge piece 56, the other end of which, rests on a lug 57 on the rearside of the coupler head. A bolt 58 secured in the coupler head projectsthrough the bridge piece and by means of a nut 59 and a washer 60 thebridge piece 56 may be screwed down into firm contact with the lug 55 tohold the nipple 48 in a fixed position in the coupler head. By looseningthe nut 59 the nipple may be turned to any desired position to have thepipe secured thereto, after which the bridge piece will be securedinposition as above described. In'the case of the nipples 49 and 50 asingle bridge piece 61 answers for both nipples, engaging the lugs 62,68, thereof. In order to insure that the pyramidal proection 30 shallenter the corresponding opening 31 of the companion coupler head,

1 provide the face of each pyramidal projecton ad'jacentto the opening31 with a flattened depressed portion or recess 64, as

' shown in Fig. 5, which provides ribs 65 at either side thereof whichtend to prevent the meeting faces from sliding laterally past eachother.

I claim:

1. In a train pipe coupler, a bracket, a coupling member pivotallymounted therein, said bracket having a rigid portion extending downwardunder said coupling member, and a yieldable support for said couplingmember on said downwardly extending portion ofthe bracket.

'2.-In a train pipe coupler, a bracket, a coupling memberpivotallymounted in said bracket, a casing carried by the bracket, a springpressed plunger Working in said casing, and an adjusting bolt mounted insaid plunger and adapted to support said coupling member.

3. In a train pipe coupler, a bracket, a hollow plunger mounted thereinand having an elongated opening, a pivot pin mounted in the bracket andextending through said opening, a coil spring mounted in. the plungerand extending between said pivot pin and the end of the plunger, acoupler head mounted on said plunger, and a yielding support mounted onthe bracket and engaging the under side of said plunger.

4. In a train pipe coupler, in combination with the coupler head, anelbow-shaped, pipe-connecting nipple having one end portion rotatablymounted in the coupler head, a lug on said nipple, a bolt mounted on thecoupler head and having a screw-threaded outer end, a bridge pieceslidably mounted on said bolt and having a socket for engaging said lug,and a nut for said bolt whereby to clamp the bridge piece in position.

5. In a train pipe coupler, in combination with a con )ler head havin ana erture an elbow-shaped, pipe-connecting nipple having a straightportion rotatably mounted in said aperture and provided on its exteriorwith a lug located substantially in the plane of the axis of saidstraight portion, bolt. mounted on the coupler head and having 'ascrew-threaded outer end, a bridge piece slidably mounted on said boltand having a socket for receiving said lug, and a nut for said boltwhereby to clamp the bridge piece in position.

adjacent to the openingprovided with a guide for the projection of thecompanion coupler head.

7 In a train pipe coupler, a coupler head having a pyramidal projectionand adjacent thereto an opening for receiving a pyramidal projection ona mating coupler head, said pyramidal projection having its sideadjacent to said opening provided with a depressed fiat portion to forma guide for the meeting face of the projection of the companion couplerhead.

8. In a train pipe coupler, a bracket, a coupling member having apivotal engagement therewith, said bracket having a rigid portionunderhanging said coupling member, and a yieldable support on saidunderhanging portion of the bracket, said coupling member restingslidably on said support.

9. In a train pipe coupler, a bracket, a coupling member having apivotal engage ment therewith, said bracket having a rigid portionunderhanging said coupling member, a yieldable support on saidunderhanging portion of the bracket, and a member vertically adjustableon said yieldable support slidably engaging the under side of saidcoupling member.

10. In a train pipe coupler, a bracket, a coupling member having alongitudinal slidable and vertical pivotal engagement near its inner endwith said bracket, said! bracket having a rigid extension under. hangingsaid coupling member a springpressed,vertically-movable plunger on saidrigid extension, and a member verticallyadjustable on said-plungerslidably engaging the under side of said coupling member forward of theplace of pivotal engagement of said coupling member with said bracket.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

VOTAW S. DURBIN. Witnesses:

Barron S. ELLIOTT,

STELLA HILL.

